Year: 2011

Alternative Energy Sources For Emergencies, by Smiledr

Being in preparedness mode opens your eyes to a number of factors, not just Beans, Bullets and Band-Aids. As a battalion coordinator for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s CERT program, I was asked to give a presentation on Alternative Energy sources for an emergency situation. My research into this was very enlightening, and I found a number of great ideas. This does not encompass everything available, but it is fairly thorough. So, why Alternative Energy? In an emergency, such as a major earthquake, there can be a loss of power, gas and water. If it is a short-term problem e.g. …


Increasing Preparedness Planning Through the Rules of Three by SAA Joe

After reading “Patriots” and then becoming a regular reader of SurvivalBlog I quickly realized the opportunities I had to improve my preparedness.  As someone who enjoyed the outdoors I always felt I had some of the skills and materials but realized the task to have the right preparations in the right quantities was going to be a challenge.  Where do I start?  This was especially compounded with the semi-urban apartment lifestyle I live, in the worst state west of the Mississippi, and one that is sure to be disrupted by some type of event – a major earthquake at the …


Letter Re: The Downward Trend for PV Panel Prices

Jim, I’ve had the impression for some time now that from all the so-called alternative energy sources, photovoltaic (PV) panels appeared to be the only one capable of really having an impact on traditional fossil fuels. Years ago the lowest prices you would see for solar panels were about $4 per watt. Not long ago a batch of new startups entered the marketplace producing thin-film solar cells, which could be manufactured with far fewer materials and some of these companies (Nanosolar) claimed their cell production cost less than $1 per watt, which was a symbolic price point that represented competitiveness …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Donald M. sent this: The Fed Won’t Be Able to Combat Inflation by Raising Fed Funds Rate In the latest Daily Bell: US Panel Blames Banks for ’08 Meltdown, but not Central Banks John Browne: The Great Debt Shift. Here is a quote: “Two of the world’s largest economies, the EU ($16 trillion) and the US ($14 trillion), have become the leading practitioners of private-to-public debt shifting. The US has assumed the debts of banks, insurers, mortgage holders, and even entire industrial sectors. The European Union has done the same for entire states. The resulting public debt levels are, …



Odds ‘n Sods:

K.Y. pointed me to the web page for a new european shotgun slug design that looks very promising: Hexolit 32. Bowhunters will notice a similarity to modern broadheads!    o o o J.M.B. mentioned this: Mock city rises at Marine base for urban training. It has 1,560 buildings!    o o o Reader F.G. spotted a piece that obviously must have been written before The Governator left office: Top 10 Reasons Not to Live in California. Gee, and the article doesn’t even mention my #1 reason: draconian gun laws that have disarmed the citizenry.    o o o Risk of …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The patriot who feels himself in the service of God, who acknowledges Him in all his ways, has the promise of Almighty direction, and will find His Word in his greatest darkness, a lantern to his feet and a lamp unto his paths.’ He will therefore seek to establish for his country in the eyes of the world, such a character as shall make her not unworthy of the name of a Christian nation….” – Francis Scott Key, February 22, 1812


Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady …


TEOTWAWKI Home Dentistry, by Frank J.

 A dental problem occurring in an environment where access to professional care is limited or absent may progress to a point which seriously degrades the functioning of the afflicted individual. A dental emergency would be defined as a medical emergency where pain or swelling originates from the teeth, jaws or gingiva (gums). The vast majority of dental emergencies arise from either tooth decay or periodontal disease commonly referred to as gum disease. Both are a result of a bacterial infection but follow different pathologic paths. Tooth decay has its humble beginnings when certain bacteria, ever present in the mouth, adhere …


The Survival Trunk Gun by J.S.

There are plenty of forum postings and articles online on the subject of “trunk guns,” but I haven’t seen one that is survival or SHTF specific.  Many postings on SurvivalBlog detail a prep list and/or their B.O.B. list their firearms but rarely describe those carried in a vehicle on an ongoing basis. This is where the legal disclaimer comes in, right at the beginning.  I’m not a lawyer or firearms-related legal expert.  Do not assume anything mentioned herein is legal where you live or travel, I take no responsibility for illegal acts that stem from this article.  MOST parts of …


Web Gear Basics, by Jeff J.

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I had been thinking for some time about what topic I should write about that may help others here on SurvivalBlog. I myself am fairly new to prepping and have tried to soak up all the information this site provides and that Mr. Rawles has graciously provided. Last year I purchased and read the book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It.” I enjoyed the book incredibly and learned so much more. For one, I realized that I am far from reaching my goals of being self sustaining and providing for the needs of my …


Letter Re: Making Swimming Pool Water Potable?

Dear Jim: When I teach classes on water storage and preservation I am often asked this question. I usually respond with a few questions of my own: 1.) Name all of the reasons you need water? 2.) Tell me what percentage each of those requires?, and: 3.) How many of those could you do with pool water just the way it is? The truth of the matter is that the only reason you would need to “purify” pool water is for drinking or cooking. Washing, (dishes, clothes or bodies) doesn’t  require any pool water purification. Same with flushing the toilet …


Economics and Investing:

John R. suggested this piece by Rick Ackerman: Finally, It’s the Fed That Has Become Too Big to Fail Reader AmEx (American Expatriate) sent this: Gold Holdings in ETPs Plunge Amid Signs of Recovery Nevada Unemployment: The Worst Gets Worse Items from The Economatrix: Second Wave of Housing Bust Hammers More Cities   Consumer Confidence Index Hits Eight-Month High   US Economy Contracting, Pound Plunges   World’s Economy Recovery Continues, Says Think Tank  


Odds ‘n Sods:

I heard from the developer of an interesting shelter system designed for natural disasters: LifeCube. It is a 144-square foot inflatable shelter that is transported in a 5-foot cube of pallets. The shelter is a very clever design and looks ideal for short-duration natural disasters.  However, its long term viability is dubious.  (Since it requires electricity (or compressed air), and once the integrity of the inflated envelope tubes is lost due to any large punctures, the structure will collapse. But I’ve been told that the fabric portion of the shelter is manufactured by the Patten Company which invented the inflatable …